Found in a Newfoundland field, these well-mended “tumgluttons” were used for hunting and fishing. Notice how three fingers are kept together for warmth, while the index finger and thumb are allowed to move freely. These mittens maintain heat better when wet, so fishermen dipped them in warm salt water with their hands still inside.

Why did the donor of these mittens refer to them as “tumgluttons” – what is the origin of this name?

Responses

Posted by Andretta Hawthorne

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I do not know where the name originated but I noticed that the name of these mittens is in Latin. So I translated it and tum glutton (two words rather than one) in English means “at that time to swallow.”
I own a pair of mittls like the ones in the picture that I use at my work as a ski lift operator. They are McCordick Workhouse Gauntlett Style Trigger Finger Mitts. This kind of style is mainly used as snowmobiling gloves.
Random thought: It looks like it’s a mitt for a mutant? Six fingered person from the book The Chrysalids, which takes place in Newfoundland and Labrador.